martensen



June 21, 1955 Filed March 2, 1953 Fig.

N. M. MARTENSEN 2,710,976

COMBINATION CRIB AND PLAY PEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Niels M. Manensen INVENTOR.

June 21, 1955 N. M. MARTENSEN COMBINATION CRIB AND PLAY PEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2, 1953 Niels M. Marreheb INVENTOR.

WW fiMLmm United States Patent This invention relates to new and useful improvements in sleepingand playing equipment for infants and the primary object of the .present'invention is to provide a :foldable combination crib and play pen that may be quickly. and readily folded into a, small and compact article for storage or shipment.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a combination crib and play pen composed of a pair ofend members which are connected to hingedly connected bottom Wall sections so that the bottom wall sections may be retained ina, horizontal position when in. use and whereby the bottom wallsectionsmay be folded one against the other as the end members are brought together in collapsing the article of furniture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combination crib and play pen involving flexible and removable side walls which are quickly and readily disengaged from the bed structure for cleaning or the like in a convenient manner.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a foldable combination crib and play pen of the aforementioned character that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, neat and attractive in appearance, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the present invention assembled for use;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially through the center of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the present invention in its folded, carrying position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a detail vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 66 of Figure 1; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the telescoped connecting members used in conjunction with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, numerals 10 and 11 represent a pair of end member each of which includes a pair of vertical bars 12 connected by upper and lower horizontal bars 15 that are suitably fixed to the upper and lower edges of a rigid panel 14. The vertical edges 16 of the panels 14 are spaced from the bars 12 to define "ice 2 openings 18 (Figure 3) for a purpose presentlyatoabe described.

-A pair of bOItOm WaII-SCCHOHS 20-and' 22 have inner endsthatare connected'atogether by .hinges '24, whereby the inner ends of-the bottom'wall sections. may be raised Withthe ,undersurfaces of .thenbottom wall sectionshin facing relationship. The outer endsof the=bottomwall sections 20 and. 22 fixedlysupport L-shaped .corner -.brackets-26z=and ,28- that are .pivoted. to-the bars of vthe end members 10. and 11, adjacent thelower endsthereof,

for. vertical swinging. movement.

"Pairs of folding-braces 30 and 32, are employed for connecting the bottom wall sections 20 and 22 to theend members; -10;.and litand for' retaining the bottom wall sections in a horizontal-position. The lower-ends of. the .-=folding*'bracesr30randt32- are pivoted to the joined-ends of the wall sections 20 and 22 by hinge brackets34. The

upper endsofthe. braces 30 are'pivotedto the upperyends .of.bars.12 tof end-member 10 by pins 36, and the upper .ends of the bracest32. are pivoted-to the upper ends of the bars,12-of-end.-member 11 by pins 38.

Telescoped connecting members 4t)v are provided for connecting the ,end memberslO-and 11 and for retaining -the. endmembers-lfl-and 11- spaced parallel ,to; each-other 25 horizontal...position. ,.Each.conne cting member 40 is whenthe bottornwall seetions...20-and 22 are in their composed of inner and outer sections 42 and 44, the outer sections 44 being tubular to slidably receive the inner sections 42. The inner sections 42 terminate in hooks 46 for engaging over the portions of pins 38 not occupied by the upper ends of braces 32 and the outer sections 44, remote from hooks 46, are provided with apertures 48 that receive the pins 36.

Inner sections 42 are provided with apertures 50 that will register with apertures 52 in the outer sections 44, whereby removable pins 54 may be extended through these apertures to lock the inner sections 42 against sliding relative to the outer sections 44.

Flexible side walls or curtains 56 are removably connected to the end members 10, 11 the connecting members 4t and the bottom wall sections 20 and 22. The

lower edge portions of the curtains 56 fixedly support snap fastener halves 58 that engage complemental snap fastener halves on the reenforcing flange bars 60 of the bottom wall sections 20 and 22.

The end edges of the curtains are folded upon themselves and carry snap fastener halves 62 that are engaged with complemental snap fastener halves 62a secured to the curtains inwardly from the marginal edges thereof to form vertical casings 64 that receive the bars 12 of the end members 10 and 11, since the ends of the curtains extend through the openings 18 below the casings 64 are formed.

The upper edges of the curtains 56 are folded over the connecting members 40 and support snap fastener halves 66 that engage complemental snap fastener halves on the curtains to form horizontal longitudinal casings 68 in which the members 40 are received.

The lower central portions of the curtains 56 are provided with pleats or darts 70 at the hinged ends of the bottom wall sections so that the crib and play pen may be folded without having to remove the curtains, if desired.

In practical use of the present invention, assuming that the device is folded as shown in Figure 4, it is merely necessary to move the end members 10 and 11 apart whereupon the bottom wall sections 24 and 22 will swing downwardly to a horizontal position which is limited by the folding braces 30 and 32. Then, the members 40, and more particularly the hooks 46 thereof are engaged with the pins 38. in order to retain the curtains 56 extended. The curtains 56 may be readily removed from 3 the connecting members 40, the end members 10 and 11 and the bottom Wall sections 20 and 22 by releasing the snap fasteners previously described, so that the curtains may be cleaned and retained in a relatively sanitary condition.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A combination crib and play pen comprising a pair of end members, a pair of bottom wall sections having inner ends that are hingedly connected together and outer ends that are pivotally attached to the end members adjacent the lower ends of the latter, a pair of telescoped connecting members pivoted at one of their ends to one of the end members and releasably engaging the other end member to retain the end members spaced parallel to each other, and folding braces having lower ends pivoted to the bottom Wall sections in axial alignment with the axis of hinging movement of the inner ends of said bottom Wall sections and upper ends pivoted to the end members at the ends of the connecting member to aid in supporting the bottom wall sections in a horizontal position.

2. A combination crib and play pen comprising a pair of end members, a pair of bottom wall sections having inner ends that are hingedly connected together and outer ends that are pivotally attached to the end members adjacent the lower ends of the latter, a pair of telescoped connecting members pivoted at one of their ends to one of the end members and releasably engaging the other end member to retain the end members spaced parallel to each other, and folding braces having lower ends pivoted to the bottom wall section and upper ends pivoted to the end members at the ends of the connecting member to aid in supporting the bottom wall sections in a horizontal position, a pair of flexible side curtains having upper edges and end edges folded and secured upon themselves to form end vertical casings and upper horizontal casings, said upper casings receiving the connecting members, said end members including vertical bars received in said vertical casings, said curtains having lower edges removably secured to the bottom wall sections.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said connecting members include telescoped inner and outer relatively slidable sections, said outer slidable sections being pivoted to said one of said end members by the pivots of the upper ends of said braces and said inner sections terminating in books, and pins securing the upper ends of certain of said braces to said other end member and engaged by said hooks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 914,104 Binney Mar. 2, 1909 1,408,604 Kawa Mar. 7, 1922 1,732,008 Frantz Oct. 15, 1929 2,194,130 Tembreull Mar. 19. 1940 2,624,054 Plant Jan. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,410 Great Britain 1826 407,541 France Ian. 4, 1910 

